By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) – Elected representatives in the Newry, Mourne and Down district of Northern Ireland have condemned what they describe as “sinister threats” issued in an online video by a group of armed, masked men calling themselves the "New Republican Movement", according to local media reports on Tuesday.
In the footage, the group claims that political representatives in the area are “legitimate targets”, prompting cross-party outrage and a police investigation.
According to Belfast Telegraph, Sinn Fein MP Daire Hughes said the threats were “an attack on democracy and on the mandate each of us as elected members receives from the public.”
“Let me be crystal clear: these faceless individuals represent no one and they will not deter me or my party colleagues from carrying out our work, every day, representing our constituents,” he said.
“Despite bombs planted at our offices and chilling threats made through social media, Sinn Fein will continue to stand up for our people.
I send solidarity to each of my elected colleagues across our constituencies. Let us stand as one against these deluded individuals.”
Alliance Party Deputy Leader and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Eoin Tennyson also condemned the video.
“The video circulating online depicting masked men threatening violence against democratically elected representatives is vile and reprehensible,” he said. “Such threats have absolutely no place in our society and my solidarity is with every Councilor and MLA who has been targeted.
“This is not just an attack on politicians, but on the people they serve and the democratic process itself. These faceless thugs do not speak for our community, and they will not succeed in dragging us backwards.
“Alliance will not be deterred from serving the people who elected us. The people of Newry, Mourne and Down reject violence and coercion, and our local team will continue to build a brighter, more inclusive future for everyone who calls the district home."
Police in Northern Ireland have confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway. District Commander Superintendent Lynne Corbett said: “It is completely unacceptable that anyone should face such threats and intimidation for carrying out the duties of the office to which they have been democratically elected. We have commenced an investigation to identify those responsible."
Northern Ireland continues to experience sporadic activity from small dissident republican groups who reject the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the peace deal that largely ended three decades of conflict known as the Troubles.
Such groups, including factions styling themselves under new names, often have limited membership and minimal community support, but their attempts to intimidate political representatives periodically provoke security alerts and police investigations.
Newry, Mourne and Down, a district bordering the Republic of Ireland, has seen occasional dissident activity in recent years, though mainstream political parties and community leaders consistently reject violence as a means of political expression.